Children’s early learning environments at home and in preschools develop the foundations of cognitive and social-emotional skills, which affect academic achievement and success later in life.[1] Research has found that Roma households are 3 times more likely to be at risk of living in poverty and only half as likely to be enrolled in preschool compared to non-Roma peers.[2]
Little information is available about the quality of early learning opportunities for Roma children and the effects of these programs on children’s development. However, recently Roma Education Fund (REF) and the Open Society Foundation (OSF) have invested in gathering more evidence about the conditions in which Roma children are living and learning. Both organizations are now using Save the Children’s International Development and Early Learning Assessment (IDELA) to build evidence about Roma children’s early skills.
This panel will include evidence from organizations working to fill early learning gaps for Roma children. Results for Development Institute (R4D), in collaboration with Deep Dive and the Centre for Interactive Pedagogy and Romanipen will present baseline evidence from an impact evaluation of a Roma parenting program in Serbia. The Ukrainian and Macedonian Step by Step Foundations will present on their use of the IDELA tool to measure of the quality of existing ECCD programs aiming to improve support and training for facilitators and Roma parents. Save the Children will present cross-country IDELA evidence from Roma communities and others around the world.
[1] Black, M.M., Walker, S.P., Fernald, L.C., Andersen, C.T., DiGirolamo, A.m., Lu, C., McCoy, D.C., Fink, G., Shawar, Y.R., Shiffman, J., Devercelli, A.E., Wodon, Q.T., Vargas-Barón, E., & Grantham-McGregor, S. (2015). Early childhood development coming of age: science through the life course. Lancet: 1-12.
[2] World Bank. 2014. Diagnostics and Policy Advice for Supporting Roma Inclusion in Romania. Washington, DC.
